DOZ Issue 35 September 2018 - Page 17

problems facing her future with Phil.
They had been together for a year now and became
engaged three months ago. It wasn’t until the
engagement that the differences in their beliefs
became an issue. Sarah was a Christian who loved
living her faith, while Phil wanted no part of it.
Sarah had her heart set on a church wedding,
officiated by the same man that baptized her as a
new believer. Phil was fine with the church wedding
and preacher but was refusing to meet Pastor Mike’s
request for pre-marital counselling. Sarah was
deeply concerned over Phil’s non-belief, for she
knew, biblically speaking, that couples should be on
the same page where their beliefs were concerned.
They had had some pretty awful arguments over the
whole thing, but Sarah refused to give up.
Sarah spent the next couple of hours studying the
scriptures and in prayer. She was beginning to feel
she was getting nowhere when her phone rang. It
was Phi l.
“Hello.” She answered, her voice shaking nervously.
“Sarah, I’m sorry. I know this means a lot to you
and I have been acting like a jerk.” Sarah could tell
by the rasp in his voice that he had been crying.
“Please, call Pastor Mike and see if he can meet with
us tonight. I need to get some things off my chest
things that I have been holding back. Things that I
know if I don’t let go of, I’m going to end up losing
you. Call him, okay?”
“Okay, I’ll call him right now.” Sarah hung up the
phone, hope rising in her soul. She found Pastor
Mike’s number and hit send, and they agreed to
meet in one hour at the church. Sarah then called
Phil to let him know.
Sarah began to pace the floor, scared to death of
what Phil was going to say. Out of nowhere, a
peace settled around her, and she knew somehow,
everything was going to be all right. She took a deep
breath, grabbed her purse and headed for the door.
Once at the church, Phil began to tell Sarah and
Pastor Mike the horrid details of his life. Sarah
knew Phil didn’t have the best of childhoods, but
through his sobs, he painted a picture of abuse that
was unbelievable. The abuse came from the hands
of Phil’s father, an ordained minister. This abuse,
by someone who was supposed to be such a Godly
man, is why Phil felt the way he did about the
church. It all made sense to Sarah now!
“Phil, I wish you had shared this with me sooner.”
Sarah cried as she tenderly wiped away Phil’s tears.
“So do I, Sarah. I am so sorry . . . for everything.”
“It’s okay, baby. Now that it’s out in the open, we can
deal with it.”
Pastor Mike placed a hand on Phil’s shoulder. “She’s
right, Phil. I hope you understand that the sins of
your father shouldn’t be held against the rest of
God’s people.”
“Yes, I know. I am ready to give this burden to God
now. I can’t, and don’t want to carry it anymore.”
“Have you ever been saved?”
“No, I haven’t, but I want to be.”
Pastor Mike read to Phil out of Romans, explaining
each step to salvation. Within the hour, Sarah
and Pastor Mike watched in awe, as Phil became
a new man in Christ. Phil and Sarah made a new
commitment not only to each other that night, but
to God as well.
Six months later, Sarah got the church wedding of
her dreams . . . to a strong, confident and faithful
man of God.
www.micheleflemingauthor.weebly.com
DOZ Magazine September 2018
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